Services to the Head of School
We have a model for mentoring that we believe provides particularly good service to school Heads, whether first-time Heads or veterans.
As former Heads of School, we feel that we held exciting, gratifying, and enormously challenging jobs. We loved our work, but it is not easy work, and the position has gotten significantly more complex in the last twenty-five years. We often relied on colleagues – wise veterans – to help us navigate difficult waters. But that reliance has limits, and the waters have gotten more turbulent.
What we offer in the realm of mentoring, coaching, and thought partnership is experience, expertise, and perspective.
We have a model that we believe provides particularly good service to school Heads, whether first-time Heads or veterans:
- We set up calls or meetings twice a month through the school year.
- We are also always on call in case an urgent or critical matter arises.
- We bring an “agenda” for the year – a curriculum, if you will – to help a Head explore a wide range of issues, some of which may be new or unfamiliar, so simply worrisome.
We also work with key leaders in the school community – typically the Board chair and senior administrators – at the beginning of our time with a Head of school so that we can best understand the school and its challenges. At the same time, while we typically work for a Board of Trustees, the heart of our work is with the Head, and there we maintain levels of open exchange of ideas and complete confidentiality so that he or she can work with us in candor and confidence.